SummaryThe effect of temperature on the retention of terpene derivatives on a porous graphitic carbon stationary phase has been investigated with methanol-water mobile phases containing fl-cyclodextrin. Changes in Van't Hoff plots were evaluated in relation to the fl-cyclodextrin concentration. Thermodynamic data were determined for both (i) solute transfer from the mobile phase to the PGC stationary phase and (ii) complexation of the solute with the fl-CD. Enthalpyentropy compensation studies were performed for these I',,vo processes. Solute transfer was shown to be enthalpically driven and independent of terpene structure, fl-cyclodextrin concentration, and mobile phase methanol content. The complexation reaction was shown to be entropically controlled and independent of terpene structure and mobile-phase composition.Comparison of the compensation temperatures of these I',,vo physicochemical processes led to the conclusion that each process had an similar influence on the global retention process.